Peace Process
“Our hope is not yet lost… to be a free people in our land.”
The imperative of achieving a historic peace with its neighbours was a priority of Israel’s long before it was invaded on all fronts on the dawn of independence. A series of bloody wars since, and a restless campaign of terror against Israeli citizens have impressed upon the whole country the urgent need to attain secure and recognised borders. Israel’s relationship with its neighbours has always been the most powerful driving force behind domestic political debate and never ceased to engage its leaders.
Here are some of the most significant diplomatic endeavours Israel has undertaken in its commitment to reach peace with its Arab neighbours:
UN Partition Plan, Resolution 181
In 1947, Jewish representatives accepted a UN resolution to establish two states, one Jewish and one Arab, side by side. This would have secured a two-state solution with a Jewish state, Israel, alongside a Palestinian state twice the size of the West Bank. However, this UN proposal was rejected by the Palestinians and peace alluded the region.
Peace with Egypt
In 1979, Israel signed a peace treaty with Egypt to return it one hundred percent of the territory captured in the Six-Day War. In exchange, Egypt became the first Arab state to recognise Israel. The two states have enjoyed peace and stability ever since. In the original negotiations, Israel offered the Palestinians autonomy, to be followed by negotiations on a final-status agreement, but the Palestinians refused to accept Israel’s right to exist, protracting the conflict.
The Oslo Accords
The Oslo Accords of 1993, extended later, set the train in motion for a comprehensive two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel committed itself to a withdrawal of troops from much of the West Bank and Gaza, evacuating nearly all populated areas, to allow Palestinian self-rule and elections for the first time in history. The Oslo II Agreement provided for an Israeli withdrawal from most of Gaza and Jericho, with a military withdrawal from the ancient city of Hebron followed up by current PM Benjamin Netanyahu. The subsequent Second Intifada, in which suicide attacks by Palestinian terrorists caused the deaths of hundreds of civilians in Israeli cities, derailed the process.
Peace with Jordan
The 1994 peace treaty with Jordan, with which Israel had no significant territorial dispute, made Jordan the second Arab country to recognise Israel. As well as fixing a western border and normalising diplomatic relations, the treaty has also allowed for Israel and Jordan to enjoy unprecedented security and defence ties as well as close cooperation on trade and environmental issues.
The Camp David Summit
At Camp David in 2000, PM Ehud Barak committed Israel to an agreement, outlined by President Clinton, which would have established a contiguous Palestinian state on all of the Gaza Strip, 91% of the West Bank with some compensatory land-swaps and the Arab neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem. The offer was rejected by Arafat and no counter-proposal was made.
Withdrawal from Lebanon
In 2000, Israel withdrew from security-zone it controlled in Lebanon that it was forced to invade in 1982, to stop terror attacks on the north of Israel being launched from Lebanese soil. The UN certified that Israel withdrew to the last centimetre behind the internationally-recognised border and had fully accorded with the Security Council Resolution. This, however, failed to secure peace and rocket attacks by the militia group Hezbollah, as well as the abduction of Israeli soldiers, in 2006 sparked another conflict.
Roadmap for Peace
Under the guidance of President George W. Bush, Israel committed itself in 2003 to further territorial withdrawals on condition of security guarantees from the Palestinian Authority. The continuation of suicide attacks, however, unsettled the process once more.
Disengagement
The Disengagement from Gaza in 2005 was the boldest and most risky large-scale, unilateral measure ever taken by an Israeli government. To demonstrate its commitment to a comprehensive, peaceful two-state solution, Israel withdrew its troops to the 1967 lines around Gaza. Israel also uprooted 8,000 settlers from their family homes to show its seriousness in making sacrifices for peace, but since, terrorists have fired thousands of rockets into Israeli towns and cities.
The Olmert Offer
In 2008, following the Annapolis Summit, PM Ehud Olmert made the Palestinians the most generous offer in history, which would have established a viable and contiguous Palestinian state and conclusively ended the conflict. Israel offered to withdraw from 93% of the West Bank, uprooting tens of thousands of settlers, and provide acre-for-acre land-swaps to compensate: a new land-corridor between the West Bank and Gaza would allow Palestinians unhindered travel within their new state. The offer was rejected and no counter-proposal was made.
At every stage, advances were made at great risk to Israel’s security. Every territorial withdrawal creates the immediate danger that subversive forces will use diplomatic advances as bases from which to continue their struggle to wage war on Israel and attack its civilians. Since thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have been killed when past agreements unraveled, Israel must remain cautious to guarantee stability whilst making bold risks for a final-status peace.